Where'd it go?

 

I swear it went from October to December.

 

Below are the placemats I made for my mother and I. She got 6 for her birthday (per her special order) and I got two...for about a week...when she visited at Thanksgiving she informed me she changed her mind and wanted 8 placemats - she knew I had more fabric. She was so pleased when she saw her additional two sitting on my dining table. Now I've not none. :o(

 

 

But I do have more fabric, thank goodness I bought 6 yards of that print. ;o)

 

I did manage to keep these two placemats. Notice the different quilting...the placemat with the loops in the border was my test sample. Then I got in such a grove quilting all the placemats that when I did the top placemat I forgot to quilt loops.  Oh well.

I also finished Tucker...I decided to quilt and bind mine. It was a fun quick project that I can see myself making again. This one has already gone to live with one of my aunts.

Still working on a couple of other projects but they are Christmas gifts so I can't show them yet.

I have a feeling December is going to go by faster than November.
 

Different Kind of Quilt Show

 
I went to visit my mom last weekend for her birthday (I won't mention any numbers - mostly because if I do I won't live to see my next birthday - hehehe).  While I was there my mom's friend Penny brought by a couple of quilts that were given to her.

My pictures do NOT do this quilt justice. The yo-yo's were all hand made and hand sewn together. It is at least king size (bed shown is a queen) and it is heavy! I think the blue, brown and white are polyester blends.

You really need to see this one in person...SOOO pretty.

Penny also brought this apple core quilt. Again all hand pieced. Penny wanted to know how to finish it. It has lots of gathering to fit the apple cores together, I don't think it would be possible to quilt it...maybe tie it. I recommend leaving it as is, giving it a nice press then drapping it on a quilt rack or chair back.

I was trying to figure out if some of the fabrics were feed sacks. There were some very cute prints in it.

My mom got out a couple of quilts that my great aunts had made. This was the last quilt my aunt Edith made. It is hand quilted.

She just randomly put the blocks together. LOVE all the half square triangles.

We couldn't remember which of my dad's aunts made this hexagon quilt.

Hand quilted.

I think my grandmother paid $50 for the quilt about 35 years ago.

 

PIQF and a Litte Bit of Sewing

  
Most of what I have been sewing I can't show...getting to be that time of year again, mostly birthday's - I don't think I'll be doing much Christmas quilting (famous last words).

But... the BQ3 is done and I found the perfect backing fabric for it - at 60% off!

I am finding I can't resist a Pam Buda's mystery sew along. I tried...really, I tried...but it called my name...okay, my name isn't Tucker but this should be a quick fun project. Step 2 is done. This square is 8 1/2 inches square. I can't wait for the next step.

Last weekend I went to PIQF. Nancy, Stephanie and Loris from Luckypup Quilter joined me. Loris is definitely a lucky pup as she went to the show three days in a row. It always amuses me when she posts her pictures of the show...I never remembering seeing the quilts she posts...how does that happen? I know we went to the same show. Most of the pictures I take pictures of are ones that I think I could make...

Or dream of making...

Or only in my dreams could I make...

 

 

I could definitely make this one...one bazillion one inch squares. I'll whip it up tomorrow.

 

And what did I buy at the largest northern California quilt show with hundreds of vendors?

Not much. All clearance sales. While there were lots of fabrics and quilts kits that I really liked, none of them called my name - JOY - more than my stash.
 

Have I Been Busy?

I keep thinking I haven't done much quilting lately, but actually I have. I just haven't been doing a lot of piecing.  So what have I been doing?

I broke two needles trying to free motion quilt this table topper. After lot of unquilting I finally used my walking foot and stitched in the ditch. Also got the binding on...done.

I made two Trick-or-Treat bags for two very cute little boys.

I took the Juki off the frame so I could quilt the butterfly quilt. I've finished all of the in-the-ditch quilting, figured out what I want to quilt in the blocks, made a sample block to test...looks good huh? It's been sitting like that for three weeks.  Can you say CHICKEN!

I am making two very simple rag quilts. I've had this flannel for over 10 years. It needs to be gone. I've finished all the snipping on this one and the other is all ready to be put together.

And I've done lots...

and lots...

of binding. I really really really like these table toppers. Really.

I cleaned out my bookcase. Put all my patterns in sheet protectors and grouped like patterns in binders. Sorted all the magazine. Sorted the books...and shocker, got rid of some of the books.

It only looked that organized for about two seconds.

I did do some piecing. I cut out this Maple Island BQ3 quilt a few months ago and pieced all the blocks last weekend. 

Aren't the colors wild. I finished the top this afternoon but it needs ironed before I can show it off.

AND I went to PIQF yesterday! More on that soon.

I guess those little things really do add up.
 

Much Better

  
The blah wedge table topper is no longer blah. I liked Rose's suggestion to use yellow in the center and found a small piece that match one of the fabrics in the wedges (makes all the yellow really pop out)...then I lightly stuffed it and button tufted it.

And now I love it! I think it looks very vintage.

I still made the Halloween version but I used a fabric design I found here. Fewer fabrics (all stash), quilted with binding and it only took a day to make. Plus bonus points...its done BEFORE Halloween. Now I need to make one for Christmas.

Beverly's (a local, smaller version of Joann's who carries high quality designer quilt fabrics) had a big sale this Labor Day weekend.  I was weak...very weak...and doing a bit of a happy dance.

Over 17 yards of fabric for $64 (including tax)! Most of it was only $2.97 a yard and wonderful, pretty Marcus Brothers fabrics! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know...I need fabric like I need a hole in my head but remember I'm weak. ;o)

  

Making Progress

 

I've made a dent in the pile of quilting projects.

 

For both of the embroidery wall hangings I echo quilted the embroidery then "copied" the floral pattern in the border fabric as the border quilting design.

 

Loopy flowers...and square edged flowers.

Nancy gave me her extra Day Break blocks, I've made table toppers with them and quilted each one a little different.

I love how these turned out. I can't wait to quilt my Day Break quilt...I just have to decide which motifs to use.

The only piecing I did all month was this little table topper...

 

It's just kinda blah...I really like the original String Ring table mat. It was very fast and easy to make but I think mine is too scrappy (and still needs the rick-rack added). I think I'll try it again using Halloween fabrics...black, orange, purple and tan...I think limiting the number of colors will help.

 

I've been fighting a (losing) battle of the ants the last couple of weeks. Today I found them in the pantry. I cleaned out the pantry, bug sprayed the bejesus out of it and have had it closed up for about an hour.  Guess I'd better get back to the kitchen and put everything back...I did need to clean out the pantry but not like this. ;o)